HOW THE DEED WAS DONE
Gebb quite agreed with Parge, regarding the guilt of Alder; and on
looking back over the collective evidence, he wondered that he had not
suspected him before. No wonder he had come forward to defend Ferris:
for bad as he was, the man had some conscience, and did not wish to
see a guiltless person hanged for his crime, even though that person
was his rival in love. What Gebb could not understand was, why Alder
had been so kind to Dean; and it was to ascertain this, amongst other
things, that he left Parge as soon as he was able, and went off to
Alder's rooms. The man was dying; and for the clearance of all persons
concerned in the matter, it was absolutely necessary that he should
make a confession of his guilt, even at the eleventh hour.
"I could tell you much that I have discovered," said Gebb, slipping
the incriminating letter into his pocket, "but as Alder is dying there
is no time to be lost in getting him to confess."
"I agree with you," replied Parge, promptly. "I knew that he was
dying, as I saw an account of his accident in the papers. Get him to
confess, and for that purpose take Mr. Basson with you as a witness;
then come back to me, and tell me everything. I wish to write out all
details concerning this very extraordinary case, and put the report in
my collection."
"It certainly merits it," replied Gebb, putting on his hat, "and I
dare say this confession will be the most wonderful of all. By the
way, why did not the servant give up this letter before?"
"Because she is a cunning, artful little minx!" burst out Parge, in
great wrath, "and wished to make money over it. She found it, as I
told you, while cleaning out the grate, when the room was stripped by
Alder. The letter was torn across, as Miss Gilmar evidently did not
think it worth while to adopt Alder's advice and burn it. It was lucky
she did not, or her death would have gone unavenged; as it is----"
"As it is, the man will escape the law," interrupted Gebb, "but I dare
say he'll be punished somehow. I'm sure he deserves to be. Did Mrs.
Presk know of 'Tilda's discovery?"
"No! 'Tilda kept the discovery to herself, and intended to sell her
information to the highest bidder. It took me two hours to wring the
truth and the letter out of her; but I did in the end, and for the
evidence I paid her five pounds."
"I've no doubt Miss Wedderburn will pay you when she comes into the
estate."
"What, the five pounds!" exclaimed Parge, wrathfully. "Why, I expect
the reward."
"But the reward was to be paid by Alder himself," argued Gebb; "and
although it was a blind, you can hardly expect the man to pay for his
own detection."
"His next heir must pay it!" said the ex-detective, doggedly.
"Miss Wedderburn is the next heir."
"Then I'll apply to her," cried Parge, "I'm going to be paid for my
trouble."
"Seems to me, Simon, I've had all the trouble," said Gebb, dryly.
"You've sat in your armchair and done nothing."
"I've found out the truth, if you call that nothing!" retorted Parge,
growing red. "I've used my brains, which is more than you have done.
There is life in the old dog yet, Absalom!"
"And temper also," rejoined Gebb, who was rather sore about the reward
"Eh, Simon? Well! well! We'll argue the matter hereafter. I must go to
Alder."
"Don't forget to take Basson!"
"No, I won't. But if you are right about Alder, you are wrong about
Dean; he did not kill Kirkstone."
"Then who did?" grunted Parge, rather displeased.
"Miss Gilmar herself!" retorted Gebb, and departed swiftly, leaving to
his friend this--to him--indigestible morsel.
Parge raged a trifle after Gebb had gone, as he did not like to be put
in the wrong; but when he recollected his triumph in the new murder
case, he was quite content to set it against his failure in the old
one. So he sat placidly in his armchair, and enjoyed his success, and
the prospect of getting two hundred pounds with so little trouble. All
of which was satisfactory to his wife also; as it kept Parge in a good
temper for one entire day, a state of things which was little less
than miraculous in that frequently disturbed household.
In the mean time Gebb, with a desperate fear in his heart that he
might be too late, went as quick as a hansom could travel to Basson's
rooms. Keeping the cab at the door, he ran up the long staircase so
quickly that he arrived at the top with failing breath and beating
heart. The perennial legend, "Back in five minutes," was still on the
barrister's door, and Gebb on knocking was again greeted by the boy in
the small suit. This latter admitted that his master was at home, but
stated that he could not be seen.
"'Cos he ain't well," explained Cerberus; "he's had a shock!"
"What kind of a shock? An accident?" asked Gebb.
"No," replied the boy, after some consideration, "not that sort of
shock. Quite another kind."
"Well, I'm sorry to disturb Mr. Basson," said Gebb, "but you must take
him my card and tell him that I must see him. It's a matter of life
and death."
The boy still seemed unwilling, but Gebb thrust the card into his
hand, and insisted; so in the end it was taken to Basson. In less than
a minute Cerberus returned with the information that his master would
see Mr. Gebb at once. With a nod the detective stepped into the dingy
inner office, and found Mr. Basson with his arms on the mantelpiece,
and his head bent down on them in an attitude of dejection. When he
heard the footstep of his visitor--and firm, quick, business-like
footsteps they were--he turned slowly, and displayed a very pale face
and eyes so red that they looked as though he had been crying.
"What is the matter?" asked Gebb, rather taken aback by this evidence
of grief.
"I've had a shock," replied Basson, using the very same words as his
small clerk had done.
"Nothing serious, I hope?"
"Serious in one way, not in another. Still, I am glad to see you. If
you had not come to me I should have paid you a visit in the course of
the day. You have a right to know."
"Know what?" demanded Gebb, beginning to feel uncomfortable; he knew
not why.
"That Alder is dead."
"Dead!" Gebb, with a burst of anger unusual in one of his
self-control, dashed his hat on the floor. "By----!" he used a strong
word, "so he has escaped me after all!"
"What!" cried Basson, leaning forward in the chair he had flung
himself into. "You know?"
"I know that Alder killed Miss Gilmar; I heard it this morning. I have
the evidence of his own handwriting to prove his guilt. When did you
hear of it? How did you hear of it?"
"I heard all about it at eight o'clock this morning, shortly before
Alder died."
"Then he confessed his crime?"
"He did. I was sent for at seven o'clock at his particular request,
and he told me the whole story. In order to clear any innocent person
who might be suspected, I wrote down what he said, and got him to sign
it. The doctor and myself were the witnesses, and the confession is
locked in my desk yonder. I was coming round to your office later on
in order to place it in your hands. How did you find out the truth?"
"It's a long story, Mr. Basson. I'll tell it to you some other time.
But I learned that he killed his cousin, and I came here to get you to
go with me, and force him to confess."
"He did so voluntarily," said Basson, sadly, "and made what reparation
he could for his wickedness. Do you wonder that I received a shock,
Mr. Gebb? It was terrible to hear a man I had known so long, whom I
had liked so much, confess himself a murderer."
"It is terrible, I grant you," replied Gebb, somewhat moved by the
grief of the old Bohemian. "I should never have thought it of him
myself, as is proved by the fact that I never suspected him. He seemed
a kindly, honest, pleasant gentleman. Perhaps, however, there is the
excuse that he did the deed in a fit of rage. From what I have heard
of Miss Gilmar she was a woman to irritate an archangel."
Basson shook his head. "There is not even that excuse," he said. "The
crime was committed in cold blood. He planned and carried it out in
the most ruthless manner."
"But why in Heaven's name did he desire the death of his wretched
cousin?"
"Money, Mr. Gebb--money. Alder was desperately hard up--on the verge
of bankruptcy; and as his cousin refused to help him, he killed her.
To gain her wealth was the motive of the act. Well," added Basson,
with a sigh, "he did not enjoy his ill-gotten gains long, for in the
midst of his prosperity the hand of God struck him down."
"You have the confession, you say?"
"Here it is!" Basson unlocked the drawer of his desk, and took out a
sheet, or, to be precise, several sheets of paper, and handed them to
Gebb. The detective turned to the end, saw the three signatures, then
slipped the papers into his pocket.
"It will take too long reading this just now," he said apologetically,
"and I have much to do. Will you be so kind, Mr. Basson, as to tell me
the facts in your own way? I am curious to know how so many people
concerned in the case came to be collected in Grangebury on the night
of the murder."
"Alder collected them," said Basson, nodding; "he planned the whole
affair in a most wonderful manner, so as to throw suspicion of the
crime on every one but himself. Had he lived he would have escaped all
suspicion."
"I think not," replied Gebb, feeling for the letter he had received
from Parge; "his own handwriting would have committed him. This is one
of those little accidents which mar the plans of the most accomplished
criminals. However, that is neither here nor there. Let me hear the
confession."
Basson thought for a moment, then began. "It seems that Miss
Wedderburn was not the only person Miss Gilmar wrote to; she
corresponded also with Alder about business matters, for, as she had
left her property to him by will, she did not think that he would
betray her to Dean. As a matter of fact, she was simply putting
temptation in the man's way, for Alder was desperately hard up, and
was looking forward to the time when he would come into possession of
Miss Gilmar's money. However, she did not know that, and kept him
advised of her changes of address."
"Did he know that she was in Grangebury?"
"Oh yes; but he did not visit her there, for already he was thinking
of getting rid of her by violent means. The difficulty was how to do
it without incriminating himself. Then two accidents helped him. The
first was that while on a visit to Kirkstone, Edith told him that she
was bent on getting the necklace for Arthur Ferris, and was going up
to Grangebury on the evening of the twenty-fourth of July to get it.
Ferris, she said, was to escort her. Later on, while Alder was still
in the hall, Dean told how he had discovered Miss Gilmar's confession,
and wished to give it to me. He was afraid, however, to come to my
office lest he should be recognized. Afterwards Alder induced me to
lecture at Grangebury, and wrote to Dean telling him to come up and
see me there. Then he gave Ferris tickets for my lecture, and told him
he could wait for Miss Wedderburn in the Town Hall, while she went to
see Miss Gilmar. So now you see, Mr. Gebb, that on the twenty-fourth
of July Alder had these three people likely to be suspected on the
spot."
"A very ingenious idea," said Gebb. "I suppose he didn't care on whom
suspicion fell?"
"I don't think he did," admitted Basson, candidly; "but he preferred
to be guided by circumstances, and he really wanted the suspicion to
fall upon Dean, as he had threatened to kill Miss Gilmar. Well, you
know about Arthur and Edith."
"Yes, I know that he waited in the Town Hall, and that she got the
necklace and joined him later, and that they both returned to London.
Also, I know that Dean came up, and as he was too late to see you,
gave the confession to Alder. But I don't know how Alder managed to
get away from the hall without suspicion."
"Oh, that was easy," replied Basson. "He was busy seeing after the
tickets on my behalf, and looking at the house; so none of the
attendants knew where he was at the moment, but believed him to be in
another part of the Town Hall. When Edith came back with the necklace
he sent her into the hall, and got rid of Dean, who had missed his
train, by giving him money and telling him to stay all night in
Grangebury--a fact which favoured his plans; then the coast being
clear, he went alone to Paradise Row shortly before ten o'clock, and
saw Miss Gilmar. In accordance with his instructions she was alone in
the house, as she had sent Mrs. Presk and 'Tilda to my lecture."
"She admitted him?"
"Yes, and locked the door after he was inside; but he did not see
where she hid the key. He then told her that Dean had found the
confession, and Miss Gilmar, as you may guess, was in a great state.
She immediately, with her usual superstition, got out the cards, to
see what would happen."
"And she turned up the death-card?"
"Yes. How do you know?"
"Because I found it in her lap."
"Yes," said Basson again, "she picked up the death-card, and while
gazing at it in horror Alder, who was striding about the room smoking,
slipped behind her, and with a cord torn from the nearest curtain,
strangled her. He then robbed her of all her jewels and slipped them
into his pocket. Then he tried to get out, but found the doors locked,
and did not know where the keys were."
"Mrs. Presk had the key of the back door, and Miss Gilmar that of the
front," said Gebb.
"Quite so; but Alder did not know that. He did not dare to get out by
the window, lest he should be taken for a burglar, and arrested; so he
stepped down to the kitchen and waited till Mrs. Presk came home. He
heard her go upstairs and then call 'Tilda, so that he knew the crime
had been discovered. When the servant went up to the Yellow Boudoir,
Alder ran out of the back door, and returned to the Town Hall. The
people in charge of the money and tickets thought that he had been
with me, I fancied he had been with them, and as no inquiries were
made, you see nobody could guess that he had been away and had
committed a crime."
"And why did he leave the jewels in Dean's room at Kirkstone Hall?"
"Ah, you know that?" said Basson, much surprised. "Why, he hid them so
as to throw the blame on Dean. Everything was suspicious against the
man. He was presumably guilty of the first crime, he had threatened to
kill Miss Gilmar, he was in Grangebury on the night of the murder, and
the jewels--as Alder arranged--were to be found in his room."
"They were found," said Gebb. "I found them, and for the moment
believed Dean guilty. But about that ticket found in the Yellow
Boudoir?"
"That was purposely dropped there by Alder to further incriminate
Dean."
"How did he get the ticket?"
"In giving the confession it fell out of Dean's pocket, and Alder
picked it up. So you see, Mr. Gebb, that in every way chance played
into Alder's hands."
"'The wicked flourish like a green bay tree'; but not for long," said
Gebb, grimly. "But tell me. Why was Alder so kind to Ferris?"
"Oh, that was his deceit," said Basson, with a sigh. "He fancied that
when Dean was accused of this second murder Edith would never marry
Ferris, as being the son of such a man. He was kind to him because he
wanted to ingratiate himself with Edith: so that she might marry him
after parting, as he thought she would, with Ferris."
"Infernal scamp!" cried Gebb, swearing, "when he knew that the poor
devil was innocent. Have you Miss Gilmar's confession?"
"Here it is; Alder gave it to me. It clears Dean entirely, so I
suppose he'll receive a free pardon."
"I suppose so," said Gebb, putting the confession of Miss Gilmar into
his pocket along with that of Alder. "But his life is ruined. I'm only
sorry for one thing: that Alder did not live to be hanged."
"Well, I cannot agree with you; after all, he was my friend," said
Basson, sadly.
"He was a blackguard," retorted Gebb, and took his departure.